HPBB

CART7 Said "Some clubs are hot and heavily involved in affiliation with either FLW or BASS and their sole intent is getting a member or members into the regional finals". Not all club affiliated with BASS or FLW do this. My club is a BASS club and we make our own schedule. we do send members to state tournaments, but that is not our goal. Our goal is to fish, learn, fish, have fun, and most of all FISH. So just because a club is Affiliated with BASS or FLW does not make it a bad club go on BASSMASTER.com look under federation and there should be a link to the Michigan state web site. there you can find clubs in you area

I am the president of my bass club and I would say join now. Most clubs if they are affiliated with BASS or FLW need to have thier rosters in by the end of Dec. I know in our club Nov. starts off the new year for us. so at our meeting last week we finished up everything for 2006 and started talking about 2007, tournaments ect.... Over the past few years I have noticed that most guys wait to join till the season is almost started or already started to join. join now, or atleast check it out now. the guys that join later always seem to be a little lost at the start of the season more than the guys that joined in Nov or Dec. The other problem we have are guys that wait to long and think we start our season later than we do. Our club is in Pittsburgh Pa, and our season starts in late March as soon as the ice comes off ( sometime there is still ice), But guys think we start in may and they miss 4 or 5 tournaments before they can even check out the club. And some clubs have a waiting period. so if you wait till the season you might have waited to long. My club has a waiting period. a poss member would come out to a meeting to check us out. If they like the club and want to join they have to apply and at the next months meeting the club would vote on their membership. So in my club it takes at least 2 months to join. Join now, it helps the winter go by faster. Jim

The differences between hight $$ and low $$ fish finders are like night and day. You get what you pay for. If your just looking to see what the dept is, then a cheep one is fine ,10 foot is 10 foot. but if you use it to read the bottom. see what is down there, the higher $$ ones win hands down. And the choice of color or not? for everybody that sayes color doesn't matter. Use a color on then try to go back to a b&w unit. You will not want to use the b&w unit anymore. I used to think that there was no difference between color and b&w units till I got one. I will never get a b&w unit again. One question I always ask about units is why do most people put the better unit at the dash and the cheeper unit on the bow. I have the same units bow and at the dash. I know when your running from place to place and triing to find stuff when running the big motor you use the one on the dash. But when your fishing (99.9% of the time) your at the bow. wouldn't it be smarter to be looking at the better unit?

Had a problem like yours with a 15 merc. Used it as a kicker for years. My father went to use it on a 12 starcraft and it wouldn't even get it on plane. The problem was that it was all "carbon" up. from using it for years as a kicker. when you use it as a kicker you run it at slow speed to troll (long time) or at WOT to push the bigger Boat. even at WOT it doesn't get the RPM up because its just not going that fast. So the motor get all full of carbon. there are 2 ways to get the carbon out. 1. take it apart and clean all the internal parts. take time and cost to much $$$ 2. decarbon it your self How do you decarbon it your self? this is what a merc rep. told me to try. It worked on the 15hp Merc and on a 6hp johnson that also used as a kicker. get an 3 gal gas can. empty it and make sure its clean. fill the gas can with "Hight test" gas 93 or 94 octane get OMC's 4+2 fuel conditioner/stabilizer don't read the back of the bottle, just dump the whole bottle in the 3 gal. gas hook the motor up to a hose, or put it in a tank(which I did) start it up and let it Idle for a hour ( it this is going to work it will start in the first hour) If you see a light brown substance (looks like melting Ice cream) coming out the exhaust or floating on the surface of the water in the tank. It is working let the motor idle for a few hours checking to see if "ice cream" is coming out of it. after that take it out and run it. till all the gas is gone. see if that made a difference I tried this on my merc and it made a great big difference. the motor ran great and the boat ran great. Infact for the rest of that year I was cleaning that "ice cream" off the back of the motor. It just kept coming out of the exhaust. Now remeber to use OMC's 4+2 or it might be 2+4 its one of those. This was a Merc rep not an OMC rep and he said that OMC"s 4+2 was the best to use for this application

I also read that article by Rick Clunn, and I remembered it a few years ago while fishing a late winter tournament. Fishing an early march "ice out tournament" up here in Pa. water was hight 30's low 40's. A "white out" hit and while I was reeling in a Spinner bait I caught a nice LM by accident. I was trying to get out of the wind and snow, so I reeled that bait in fast, just ripping it under the surface makeing the blade boil the surface, just to get away, when a SM smashed it. My partner and I both kept doing the same with no bites . then I remebered the article about a snow storm and tied a buzz bait on and caught a LM in a few cast. I stayed with the buzz and he stay with the spinner and we caught 3 more Bass during that storm. After the snow stopped we did not get another hit. Don't rule out any lure at any time of year. remember the fish don't play by the "rules" I would not throw it all day, but It was just the right place and time and we were luky

I use a 1/4oz Bass Stalker Jig. Black/blue or black/Red . It has the same profile as their heavier jigs. I use a Zoom Big Salty chunk or super chunk. Black blue flake or Black red flake. With the light weight of the 1/4oz and the bigger profile it fall very very slow. I do like the "living rubber" skirt over silicone skirt when the water is cold.

This may sound stupid. But make sure your vent is open on your fuel tank. This happen to 15 merc I have, did exactly what yours is doing. I made sure the vent was open. It was all the way open. well on that old tank all the way open, closed it again. I found that out the hard way. this little mishap cost me new a carb. If this isn't it. I would have it checked out. better safe than sorry

Get yourself a Recirculating kit. They sell them is BP fop around $30 it we require you to drilll 2 holes in yop live well. if you can not do this. try one of those Recirculating kits made for a cooler. they just hold by suckon cups. i put the Recirculating kit in my two boats and have no problems. I fill my live wells, and as soon as I put a fish in them I turn the Recirculating pumps on and leave them run all day. every hour or so I turn the regulare pump in pumps on for 10 mins or so to move some fresh water in. It works really good.

I had a few Minkota PD do that and it was the board in the petal, That is why I switched to Motor guide Digital, to get away from the boards in the petals. Are you sure its a "tour" series motor? whan you say stuck on hight. Is that only speed #5? why I ask. Is Tour Series are digital and all of the inernal controls are sealed, and also they don't have # speeds, they are variable speeds. Make sure its a "tour series" and not one of there other series. One other question. have you checked to make sure you "High bypass switch" is not turned on? If it is the motor will only run in high.

I have a Motor Guide Digital Tour Series 109# 36 volt TM. This is the best TM I have ever owned or used. Its great. Have had it for 2 years and had no problems. I recomend the Digital Tour Series to anyone. It came with a Machete III Prop, and that is the only prop I have used on it. Its a good prop and almost never gets stuck in the weeds. 99.99% of the time the weeds get stuck on the shaft, not the prop. I have been looking at the "Hydrilla Hacker" & the "Metal Machete III". Has anybody used the Hydrilla Hacker or the Metal MacheteIII? Both props are around $50 and I would like to hear some info, before I spen the $$$ since a Machette III is around $30. Is the Hydrilla Hacker alot better in the weeds? I was at B.A.S.S tournament last year and noticed that many of the pros were using the Metal machete III prop. I have read that its better preformance that the regular prop. I am just worried about how it would be in heavy cover, Like wood? Thanks for any Info. Jim

This past summer in a club tournament the guy I was with and I were both throwing Bronzeye frog. Over heavy mats of grass and slime. I was using walk the dog, I twitch it, chuged it. worked it like crazy and got a few hits. The other guy just used a really slow retrieve. just reeled in slowly, and he smoked me. I soon changed. Try as many reteives as you can, the fish will tell you what they like.

Try Gander Mountain's "Guide series" I have a 6'6" MH 2 piece spinning rod. It is a good allaround rod. It runs about $50. I don't buy 2 piece anymore,but I understand why you need one. this was bought for me as a gift. Its a good rod.

It depend on the dealer. I know some that take trades and some that don't. I Also know some that will take a boat on trade as long as its a popular boat in that area, and they know its a quick resale for them. when looking at a new boat ask see if they do take trades.

I used to take my batteries out every winter and put them in the house . then in spring put them back in the boat. But For the past 4 years I have left the batteries in the boat and left the onboard charger plugged in all winter. Infact whenever the boat is parked next to the house its plugged in.The boat sits outside with a heavy cover on it, and the batteries are fine come spring. I live in Pittsburgh, so winters are like yours. Infact since I have been doing this I have had no problems with the batteries.

Local LTL Truck Driver in the Pittsburgh area

Hi I would not do anything like what you are suggesting. first of there is enough air getting to the carbs. the air comes from behind the carbs. that plastic helps direct the air. that plastic is not only keeping debris out, but it is also keeping water out and it stops flames when you have a back fire. You put holes like you said an air cleaniers. and run in rain or catch some spray form a wave your motor will get washed out and be toast. If you want to try running it with out the plastic cove just take it off its only like 10 screws or so, but you will see no improvement is power or speed, only noise.

I have had 2 power drives, and yes the streering is to slow. If you are on you trolling motor alot get a cable steer. however if you fish "electric motor only lakes" the power drives do have an advantage. on long runs at high speed you can trun the motor on constant aim it in the dirction and go leaving your foot off the petal. My motor guide will spin around if you take you food off at high speed, the other problem I found is that the petals on the power drive do not last. I was replacing one each year. Bought a Motor Guide tour cable steer two years ago and its the best thing I have very bought. My boat control has greatly improved, and my fishing has also. In my Sea Nymph GLS 175 there isn't that much room up front. I was worried about a cable steer taking up to much room, but mine fits just fine. Jim

For me its all in how you want the senko to fall. the hooks I use 99% of the time would be a 3/0 wide gap Gammy or BPS. If I want the bait to fall faster I'll go up to a 4/0 or 5/0 , but never smaller than a 3/0. the bait falls different depending on what size hook you use. The fish will tell you what they like. so I would keep all the size you mention handy and when you find fish try a differnet size and see if the fish want a faster fall or slower

I have the Humminbrd 787C and a matrix87c they are about the same unit. They are great. I bought the matrix first loved it and the next year wanted to buy a nother for the bow. well humminbird changed the models and I got the 787c. they both have the same functions. the 787 has a few little other features. about the only difference is the name and the shape of the unit itself.I had a 300 like yours and these two units are miles above that old 300. I did like the 332c, but what made my decision was with going with a nother humminbird unit, I didn't have to change much. Mount still the same, power cord and a few other things. Jim

It depends on a lot of things. I run a 17 1/2 foot aluminum Deep V with a 75HP. Runs around 35-40mph depending on load. Its a great boat, handels big water good, yes a fiberglass boat is faster and rides better. , like the above post if you going to beach it alot go aluminum. Where do you fish? if you run shallow, close to rock and stumps an aluminum boat will take hits from objects a lot better. There are alot of places that I will go with my boat the the guys I fish with that have Fiberglass boat will not go. Also what will you be towing with? since an aluminum boat is lighter its easier to tow. aluminum boats are set up a little different. My rod locker is on the side rail, some boats have them in the middle. I have fron and back raised casting decks, and two live wells. It a personal preferance, for the way I fish its an aluminum boat

I have one of those BPS 5/5/5 chargers and it was the best thing I ever bought. I run 36 volt trolling motor and have 3 spiral cell batteries. I have been using the charger for 3 years now and have no problems. I use my boat alot, fish 20 tournaments or so a year and fish every weekend. when I park the boat next to the house i plug it in and don't inplug till I am ready to leave again and the batteries are alway ready. This charger has never let me down. Jim

Had a problem like that with my 15/9.9 Merc on a 15 foot boat. It just wold not plane and always seemed to be down in RPM. I don't have a tach, but the GPS MPH was only flirting with 10mph. Firts thing I did was get a set of DOLEFINES, those hydrofoil fins that go on the lower unit. They look like little wings. well that made a huge differenace, boat planed fast and ran better, and at only $30 a lot cheeper than a prop. I also got one of those mini jake plates top raise the motor up. with these changes the boat runs around 15 mph now and the rpm's are up. Jim

Start Fishing Tournaments, join a Bass Club. I am the President of my bass club and I tell poss new members that it is a learning experiance. every time you go out you will learn more. When you think you know it all ,that is when your in truble. Put it this way. If two guys join my club at the same time and one feels the way you do, and the other feels he is going to outfish and own the club, (as a few have said). But mid year a guy like you is haveing a great time. maybe not catching a lot of fish, but learning and having fun. the guy that thought hew was a fishing god probally will not be fishing in the club anymore. they can not understand why they are not doing good and will not change to learn new things. Every year there is atleat one of those guys that join and they never stay. The first year I fished tournaments with my club. I fished 5 of them before I brought one fish to the scales, but I watch everybody and learned what they were doing differently than I was. since then I have finished in the to 5 of the my club every year. Join a club and fish its the best way to learn. Jim

I use both. Its more a question of "What am I F/P to?" If its heavy cover I'll use a BC, mainly because I have heavy line , 50lb spider wire, and a rod with enough back bone to pull a fish out of the cover. With a BC I'll F/P Jig & Pigs, mag. Tubes, Brush Hogs, and Sweet Beavers. However; if I am fishing the outside edge of the cover I will use SG, were lighter line can be used. I use 8 or 10 lb P-line on My SG. I'll be F/P lures like small tubes, worms, senkos and mini skirts. One of my favorate things to do is. If I am fishing a tournament and everybody is beating the heavy cover, and the boats seem to be just fallowing each other up the shore hitting the same cover. I'll pitch a mini skirt with a 1/16oz bullshot weight to the outside edges of the cover. I have done very well doing that. Jim

Try looking at some Deep V's most co. make models that are set up like Bass Boats inside. I have a Sea Nynmph GLS 175 (Great Lakes Special) with a 75 Suzuki, and my Father has a Alumacraft Trophy 17 with a 125 Merc. Both Boats are great on Big water ( fish Lake erie alot) . yes you get wet, but that is what rain gear is for. I have never been in any boat ( expect very large boat) that you didn't get wet when running in big waves. both were bought used for well under 10,000 at 5 years old. they also fish smaller water very well. And they tow very easy. we have towed both of the with V6 S-10 and had no problems